I almost lost over S$350 worth of GrabCoins because I forgot they expire

I'm not afraid to admit it: I'm a GrabCoins hoarder.

For the uninitiated, GrabCoins (formerly known as GrabRewards points) are earned when you make purchases or bookings through the Grab app. Every 500 GrabCoins is worth S$1.

As someone who regularly orders GrabFood while working from home and takes Grab rides to work events, I've managed to accumulate quite a stash over the years.

A week ago, I decided to check my GrabCoins balance by tapping the coins icon in the top-right corner of the homepage.

And what did I find? A whopping 184,368 GrabCoins, with 182,996 of them due to expire by Jul. 31, much to my horror.

Talk about catching it just in time.

GrabCoins now expire after six months

From Jul. 31, 2026, GrabCoins are now subject to a six-month rolling expiry policy.

That means it’s time to stop hoarding and spend them monthly because your GrabCoins expire six months from the month you earn them.

I had completely forgotten that most of mine were expiring at the end of July.

Needless to say, it was time to start putting them to use.

Apart from your balance and expiry date, the GrabCoins page also lists all the available redemption options.

Most people know you can use GrabCoins to offset the cost of Grab rides and GrabFood orders.

But there are plenty of other ways to redeem them too.

For instance, you can exchange your GrabCoins for vouchers at retailers such as 7-Eleven and Sheng Siong, as well as food outlets like Subway and Paris Baguette.

For example, I can redeem a S$5 voucher with just 2,900 GrabCoins.

Another fun way to use your GrabCoins is to enter lucky draws — for example, you can spend 50 GrabCoins for a chance to win an Apple Watch. You know I'll be taking those chances.

Not bad.

If you've been hoarding GrabCoins like I have, you can also redeem bigger rewards, such as a S$20 IKEA gift card for 10,500 GrabCoins.

Or, if you're saving up for your next holiday, you can convert your GrabCoins into KrisFlyer miles too, such as 2,000 KrisFlyer miles for 26,000 GrabCoins.

And if you really wanna get more bang for your buck, there are also monthly GrabCoins Flash Sales that start on the 15th of every month, where selected vouchers — such as S$10 off GrabFood or Grab rides — can be redeemed for almost half the usual number of GrabCoins.

Some vouchers are discounted by up to 60 per cent during the Flash Sale as well. So mark your calendars.

How I earned so many GrabCoins

If you're wondering how I managed to accumulate more than 180,000 GrabCoins, there are quite a few ways to do so.

Normally, they can be earned through everyday transactions such as booking rides, ordering GrabFood or GrabMart, or using PayLater by Grab.

But there are also bonus earning opportunities, such as hosting a group order or ordering from merchants found only on Grab that can get you five per cent back in GrabCoins.

Another great way to earn coins is booking a table on Grab Dine Out to get 1,000 GrabCoins. You can find the full list of bonus “boosters” at the GrabCoins homepage in the app.

Just remember that your GrabCoins expire at the end of every month, six months after you’ve earned them.

So check your balance regularly.

Otherwise, you might find yourself panic-redeeming all your GrabCoins like I did or with no coins to redeem at all. (Although I can't complain about effectively getting free Grab rides for two weeks straight.)

This branded article by Grab made this writer go on a GrabCoin-redeeming spree.